Reman engine vs used engine - which one is better for you

Feb 12, 2018

When vehicle owners experience an engine failure, and they have run out of their manufacturer’s warranty, more often than not, they will either take the vehicle to a shop or a dealer so as to consider the options available before them.

Most times, as the vehicle owner, you will be faced with the choice of either purchasing a remanufactured engine or going the path of purchasing a used engine for your vehicle. This brings us to the question we have below.

DO YOU WANT REMANUFACTURED OR USED PARTS?

The choice of remanufactured engine or a used engine offer vehicle owners who have issues of engine failure a very exciting alternative to purchasing a new engine. It provides them with a great option of more than 40% - 60% reduction in terms of cost, compared to purchasing new engines.

As a shop owner or dealer, if you have customers who come into your shop with a blown engine problem, you will have to know the best option for them so as to get them back to hitting the road as quickly as possible.

Of course, there exist a lot of different options you could recommend to them, but they are all dependent on several different factors. Usually, you will have to first contact the warranty company if a warranty company is involved.

In the case where the customer has run out of warranty, you will have to recommend the best option to the customer with respect to their budget and needs. It always comes down to two options you could recommend to your customers: Remanufactured engines and Used engines

WE OFFER BOTH OPTIONS

We offer to our customers both the option of remanufactured engines as well as that of used engines. We can only give advice and sincere recommendations on which one would be best for your vehicle based on your budget and the number of years the engine is to be used. The ultimate decision will have to be made by you.

If you are on a budget and have very limited funds to throw around, we could help you make the most appropriate decision based on the limit you have to spend. No matter how much you have in your pockets, we could help you make a good decision that you can live with.

We offer the two options to meet your desired need, and we will make sure you are well informed before you settle for any one option. This is why this article provides our customers with a thorough analysis of the benefits and downsides of either of the two options they may want to consider.

REMANUFACTURED PARTS

Remanufactured engines are engines that have been remanufactured to the blueprints that were used for making the engine, including the exact specifications and necessary details; and which have been tested to the standards of original equipment. This is where it must be noted that remanufactured engines are not the same as rebuilt engines.

Whereas remanufactured engines have been designed very closely to the original make of the engine and have undergone thorough inspections and screening, rebuilt engines, on the other hand, are engines which have only been reconditioned by only putting new parts or components in place of broken or worn out parts.

These parts are not usually of high quality, and they usually differ from one rebuilder to the other. You must stay away from rebuilt engines.

Remanufactured engines are engines which are made up of various parts of reassembled or rejuvenated older engines and they are designed to work as effectively as the new ones at much-reduced prices.

The reason why the prices for remanufactured engines are much reduced compared to the prices of new engines is that the parts of remanufactured engines are a combination of both new ones and recycled ones.

What happens is that old engines which obviously may be faced with some serious issues are disassembled, and then any parts of them with very obvious damages are scrapped while the parts remaining (such as the block, heads, camshafts, crankshafts, water pump, pistons, rods, etc.) are inspected thoroughly.

The inspection of remanufactured engines is usually very thorough. Both the engine blocks and the cylinder heads are fully x-rayed, while the measurement is done on the pistons by means of micrometers so as to capture any issue that may not be visible to the naked eyes.

It is all the various parts or components that have succeeded in passing the inspection exercise that is collected together alongside bearings, piston rings, etc to make another engine (a relatively new one).

As soon as the remanufacturing process has been completed, the remanufactured engine is subjected to another test so as to confirm it to be made of the highest quality.

For most consumers, they have realized that the benefits of getting a remanufactured engine for their vehicle far surpass the disadvantages. So, let us take a look at the benefits and the disadvantages of choosing a remanufactured engine:

Cost

The cost that you will have to incur as a result of a broken down vehicle engine could actually be on the high side irrespective of whether you decide to go for a remanufactured engine or a used one.

When it comes down to the one that is more cost-effective, remanufactured engine takes the crown. If for instance, an engine fails, it does not necessarily mean that the other components have failed too. In this case, the other parts are cleaned up, assembled, and used to remanufacture a new engine which becomes the remanufactured engine.

Basically, when you decide to buy a remanufactured engine, what you are paying for is exactly only a few new parts which have thoroughly been inspected. This is what makes them more expensive than new engines and less expensive than used ones as well.

Reliability

As regards reliability, remanufactured engines are the best. While used engines may have been repaired more than once, remanufactured engines, on the other hand, have all the crucial components either fully repaired or totally replaced so as to surpass the standard it was originally, thereby becoming reliable in the long term.

Also, remanufactured engines come with a warranty because of the fact that they make use of used components.

Having a warranty does not indicate that something will go wrong in the function of the engine; it only means that you are provided with extra assurance that the product you are getting is of a very high quality since it has been inspected by experts.

For used engines on the other hand, you have no guarantee that the engine you intend to buy will last for a long time. What this means is that, should there be a case of lack of maintenance by the previous user, or any damage which may have gone unnoticed during inspection, the new user will have to actually spend more in the long term.

Performance

In terms of performance, remanufactured engines offer top performance than used engines do. To the average consumer, the difference between a new engine and a remanufactured engine may not appear apparent. In fact, both new engines and remanufactured engines run smoothly with top quality feel.

On the contrary, if you will be using the engine for racing, it is advised to not go with either a new engine or a remanufactured engine. A new engine off the lot will just be efficient for you since racing will put lots of undue stress on the engine and would consequently result in failure during racing actions.

Environment

Considering environmental impact, sticking with a remanufactured engine is the best bet. By choosing to put a remanufactured engine in the place of your old and damaged vehicle engine, you are helping to make the environment safer.

Remanufactured engines have the ability to increase the life of your vehicle and make you see no need for purchasing a new engine. By this, the resources and energy which have been utilized for the manufacturing of new vehicles will be conserved. By choosing to purchase a remanufactured engine, you are not only helping to keep the environment safe and very friendly (by discouraging scrap), but you are also helping to make sure people are gainfully employed and useful too.

USED PARTS

Used engines are exactly what the name implies. They are not the same as remanufactured engines. Used engines are engines that have been used in a former vehicle that is similar to the new one where it is intended to be used, and which will consequently be transplanted into the new vehicle.

In simple words, they are usually removed from vehicles that have been scrapped such as vehicles damaged by flood, wrecked vehicle, etc. These kinds of engines have more disadvantages than they have benefits.

For one thing, these used engines do not carry longer warranty. However, people prefer them because of the savings they make in terms of cost from just buying these engines, but it is counter-effective to buy them since you will spend more due to the damaging effect. The only benefit used engines have over remanufactured is just the cost (at least in the short term).

On the other hand, you could actually be fortunate with these engines especially if the previous owner handled the engines very well, or if the vehicle was scrapped as a result of a car accident that did not result in damage to the engine.

But on a general note, you cannot be too sure about the history of a particular used engine you intend to buy as regards whether the engine was previously involved in a flood, or whether the owner handled it very well, or if the engine had been laying around in the junkyard.

You should only consider purchasing a used engine as the last resort if you believe you cannot afford a new one or preferably a remanufactured one. Should you decide to get a used engine, it is very important you enquire thoroughly about the history of its use, and make sure to get it properly inspected and tested by experts.

Even this, is not a guarantee for a used engine. It is not the safer option compared to purchasing a remanufactured engine.

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU USE?

Even though the exterior of remanufactured engines are not entirely replaced (except if they are damaged) the interior parts which are replaced are ensured to comply with the standard specifications and inspections.

In fact, it is basically a new engine in an old body. The interior parts are of very high quality, and because of the way these remanufactured parts are sourced, they offer a far better value than used ones or even new engines do.

First, they are collected from broken down engines, and then they are meticulously inspected before being reassembled to remanufacture a new engine. Most of the bearings, seals and other essential parts used in a remanufactured engine are replaced.

The engine is always assembled in exactly the same facility that is responsible for building new engines. After the process is completed, it is given out with a sizeable warranty.

CONCLUSION: WOULD YOU PREFER TO BUY USED ENGINE?

By some distance, the cost of purchasing a used engine is far cheaper than the cost of purchasing a remanufactured engine. This is particularly true for the short term.

However, if you are thinking in the long term, and when you carefully consider the rigorous standards for testing and assembling the various parts, the excellent warranty, and what is more, the excellent pricing, it would be very unwise to argue against purchasing remanufactured engines.

By a great margin, remanufactured engines are much more efficient, and cost-effective than used engines are. It is now a matter of whether you would still prefer to purchase a used engine.

In a nutshell, we will not make a choice for you; rather, we would guide you by making sure you are well informed of both the benefits and disadvantages of either of the two options. Whichever of the two you decide to go with will have to do with the budget you have for making the purchase, as well as the need and the number of years you intend for the use.